Butterfly Gardening

Butterfly Gardening Facts

Nectar-producing plants will attract butterflies to your garden. In order to support a full butterfly lifecycle, host plants (for laying eggs and use as a caterpillar food source) must also be present.

Throughout the country, the general requirements for butterfly gardening are the same: full sun, nectar source plants, larval host plants, a pesticide-free environment, and knowledge of the local butterfly fauna.

Many buttefly-attracting plants are natives and require little attention, as they are naturally adapted to the region in which they live.

Butterfly gardens are best planted in the spring with younger plants or in the fall with mature plants that will become dormant quickly and re-emerge in the spring. It is best not to plant in the heat of summer or the cold of winter.

One of the most common mistakes in butterfly gardening is planting only one nectar source. Adult butterflies have a very short lifespan. Planting a variety of nectar sources will encourage more butterflies to visit the garden. Planting an adequate supply of host plants gives butterflies a place to lay their eggs, which will successfully hatch and result in butterflies that will continue to visit the garden.

Butterflies typically lay their eggs in late spring and hatch 3-6 days after they are laid. It takes 3-4 weeks for a caterpillar to pupate and 9-14 days to emerge as an adult.

Good resources for learning more about butterfly gardening include zoos, botanical gardens, butterfly houses, garden centers and nurseries, libraries and the internet. There are many good websites dedicated to butterflies and butterfly gardening.

Check out our children's page for more links about butterflies.

Butterfly Attracting Plants

Common Name	Scientific Name
Azalea	Rhododendron spp.
Black-Eyed Susan	Rudbeckia hirta
Butterfly Bush	Buddleja davidii
Butterfly Weed	Asclepias tuberosa
Egyptian Star Flower	Pentas lanceolata
Ironweed	Veronia baldwinii
Joe-Pye Weed	Eupatorium purpureum
Lantana	Lantana camara
French Marigold	Tagetes patula
New England Aster	Aster novae-angliae
Purple Coneflower	Echinacea purpurea
Swamp Milkweek	Asclepias incarnata
Blazing Star	Liatris spp.
Vervain	Verbena spp.
Zinnia	Zinnia elegans

Host Plants and the Butterflies they Attract

Adult butterflies are attracted to a number of nectar producing plants. They favor plants that have large petals to provide a perch, though multiple small florets work as well. Purple flowers seem to be most attractive to butterflies, followed by yellows, pinks, and whites. Avoid double flowers, many of which are low in nectar supplies. Butterflies are sun-loving insects, so choose a site in full sun for the butterfly garden. Avoid spraying any insecticides in a butterfly garden, and encourage neighbors to limit their use of insecticides, as well.

Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) and butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) are named for their ability to attract butterflies. Other popular nectar plants include marigold, primrose, sedum, dandelion, goldenrod, aster, yarrow, honeysuckle, viburnum, lilac, and zinnia.

More adult butterflies will visit the garden if provided with food plants for the caterpillar, or larval, stage of the insect. Caterpillar damage to vegetables and flowers is not a concern; many attractive butterflies prefer plants that are usually considered weeds for larval food. Often, caterpillars will feed on only one species, so take care to provide the correct larval food for the desired species. If the unkempt appearance of a bed of milkweed and nettles (demanded by larval monarchs and red admirals, respectively) doesn't sound appealing, plant to grow the caterpillar border in an out-of-the-way corner of the yard or interplant some dazzling annuals to feed the adults and draw attention away from the less attractive plants.

• Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
  - Common milkweed, swamp milkweed (Asclepias spp.)
• Zebra swallowtail(Eurytides marcellus)
  - Common pawpaw (Asimina triloba)
• Spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus)
  - Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
• Pipevine swallowtail
  - Dutchman's pipevine
• Question mark butterfly
  - American elm
• Alfalfa & common sulfur butterflies
  - Red and white clover
• Red admiral
  - false and stinging nettle
• Painted lady butterflies
  - Thistles, burdock, sunflowers, hollyhock, pearly everlasting
• Red spotted purple butterfly (Limenitis arthemis)
  - Wild cherry, apple, hawthorn, Willow (Salix spp.)
• Viceroy
  - Willows, apple
• Eastern tiger swallowtail(Papilio glaucus)
  - Wild cherry, tulip tree, Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
• Great spangle fritillary
  - Violets
• Black swallowtail(Papilio polyxenes)
  - Apiaceae family (carrot, parsley, Queen Anne's lace, fennel)
• Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
  -Hop tree (Ptelea trifoliata)
• Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)
  -Senna (Cassia spp.)

Facts to Remember...

Plant butterfly-attracting flowers
Butterflies are attracted to flowers with strong scents and bright colors, where they drink sweet, energy-rich nectar. Select plants that are native to your area, and they will attract local butterflies.

Include host plants in your garden
Butterflies lay their eggs on host plants that the emerging caterpillars will eat. The sight of a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis will more than make up for the chewed leaves.

Use colorful plants
Butterflies see more colors than humans do. They seem to prefer red, orange, yellow, purple, and dark pink. A large, colorful garden is easy for butterflies to find, and encourages them to stay longer.

Don't use chemical pesticides
Pesticides kill butterflies, caterpillars, and other useful insects. try these methods instead: Plant marigolds, petunias, mint, and other herbs that naturally repel pests. Encourage ladybugs and dragonflies to dine in your garden. Wash pests away with insecticidal soap.

Learn about native butterflies
Each butterfly has a favorite nectar plant, and needs a specific host plant where it will lay eggs. Learn about local butterflies, so you can provide the right match of plants to make your garden a popular hangout.

Sit back and enjoy the butterflies
You've set the stage; now watch the show. You won't be disappointed.